If you decide to arrive via Tokyo you will land at Narita Airport. This airport is located approximately 70 kilometers (44 miles) to the northeast in the neighbouring prefecture called Chiba. First you need to get to Tokyo. Don't even think about taking a taxi. There is an airport bus - but its progress will depend on the traffic. The best way to go is by train from the airport's train station.

The Skyliner (Narita Express) will take you from Narita to Ueno station in Tokyo in 56 minutes for 1,920 yen. There is an express train every 30 minutes. Ueno station is a major station on the Yamanote Line - the large loop line that Tokyo commuters use to get around the JR system. If the reason you decided to enter via Tokyo was to see friends etc then this is probably the best place to change. If you are continuing to Yamasa then change to a Yamanote Line train bound for Tokyo station. You will notice from this point onwards that there will be very few signs in English and very few English speakers. If you can't speak Japanese make sure you buy a phrase book and dictionary BEFORE you head for Japan. The train to Tokyo station will cost 150 yen and take 12 minutes.

At Tokyo station you need to change to the shinkansen (bullet train) - the high speed train that will take you to Aichi Prefecture. You need to specify how you want to get there because there are two methods and the prices differ accordingly:

1. The fast way: There are 4 or 5 Hikari Express trains leaving Tokyo each hour so you will never need to wait long. A Hikari reaches Nagoya in 1 hour 55 minutes (the Hikari doesn't stop between Yokohama and Nagoya). The ticket to Nagoya will cost 10,070 yen (Normal JR fare + Shinkansen extra), you will then need to board a Limited Express for Okazaki (28 minutes/600 yen). If you call us from Nagoya we can then meet you at the station.

2. The slower cheaper way: A speed of 200 km/hr isn't really slow, but all things are relative. Take a Kodama (all stops) shinkansen from Tokyo to the city of Toyohashi. This takes 2 hours and 24 minutes. There are 2 Kodama trains each hour. The Shinkansen fare will cost 8,190 yen (Normal JR fare + Shinkansen extra), you will then need to board a Limited Express for Okazaki (20 minutes/480 yen). If you call us from Toyohashi we can then meet you at the station.

If you sit on the right hand side of the train you might see Mt. Fuji if the weather is clear. On the left side of the train you will be close to the ocean as the Shinkansen tracks follow the coast very closely in some sections.